— Army budget up by 75% under coalition

— 400 officers, other ranks benefit from scholarships 
— $2.5B in equipment donated by China 

CONTRARY to reports that the security forces are starved of resources, official records of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) show that in a period of two years, $2.5B in equipment were donated by China, while the force’s budgetary allocation has increased by 74 per cent since the David Granger Administration assumed office. In less than four years, more than 400 men and women in uniform, from the defene force, have been granted scholarships to pursue higher education.

It was the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali, who, in a recent interview with a local newspaper, contended that members of the security forces are left with no other choice than to use obsolete equipment to execute their duties while operating under poor conditions. At the time, he was attempting to outline his plans for ‘men and women in uniform’; however, he has since come in for major rebuke from the Guyana Police Force and the Joint Services Co-ordinating Council.

Official records from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) tell a totally different story from the one being told by Ali. According to the records seen by the Guyana Chronicle, between 2017 and 2018, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army contributed $2.5B in engineering and other equipment to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), thereby, boosting the force’s capacity to respond to the needs of the country.

Buses, patrol boats, bulldozers, an excavator, water tankers, fuel tankers, tipper trucks and off-road ambulances were among the equipment donated. Added to that, technical and military officers from the People’s Liberation Army conducted a series of training sessions with the GDF troops, on the use of the equipment.

The GDF has also received support from the USA in the areas of disaster management, suicide prevention and community development. In recent months, US military service members have partnered with the GDF in an operation called New Horizon 2019, to construct a women’s shelter in Linden and along with a number of community centres. A community centre was also constructed in Yarrowkabra, on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. These facilities will be officially handed over today.

Aside from the contributions made by external forces, the government has ramped up the GDF’s financial resources. In 2013, the GDF received approximately $7.2B. The following year, the Defence Force was allocated $8.044B; however, from then to now (2019), it has seen a 74 per cent increase.

According to the Force’s records, in 2019, it received $14.019B, of which $12.977B was allocated for recurrent projects and programmes, and $1.042B for capital expenditures. In defending the amount allocated to the Force for 2019, then Minister of State Joseph Harmon, told the National Assembly that of the sum allocated, $415.5M was set aside for the construction and rehabilitation of buildings, fences, armoury, warehouse, bond and quarters; $69M for marine development; $300M for air, land and water transport; $35M for pure water supplies; $23M for Agricultural development; and $80M for equipment. Another $120M was set aside for the National Flagship GDF Essequibo.

SIGNIFICANT RECAPITALISATION
Since 2015, there has been significant recapitalisation of the Air Corps. The Force’s hangar, offices and operation centre have undergone rehabilitation while a passengers’ lounge with modern facilities (baggage scanner) has been constructed. Notably, the GDF has acquired four fixed-wing aircraft – two Britten Norman Islanders and two Shorts Sky Vans. Additionally, added to its fleet is a Beachcraft King Air 350 Corporate aircraft. In the pipeline are plans to acquire four rotor-wing aircraft by the end of 2020.

As of present, recurrent and initial training of pilots, engineers and crew members are ongoing to effectively operationalise the air assets, according to the records of the GDF.
“These multipliers will enhance our ability to provide continuous surveillance over Guyana’s air, land and maritime space, provide assistance to the civil authority in response to any threat or disaster such as casualty evac, & SAR, Anti-Piracy, interdiction of narco-traffickers and smugglers and to deploy to any part of Guyana at short notice and be effective,” the document states.

In the area of housing, the GDF has partnered with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to provide affordable housing to ranks of the Force in the developing communities of Prospect and Providence in Region Four, and Wisroc and Amelia’s Ward, in Linden, Region 10. That aside, a meeting between the Joint Services Coordinating Council and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has resulted in 120 acres of undeveloped land in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara being allocated to the Joint Services Housing Programme.

The records show ranks and officers of the GDF continue to benefit from a wide range of educational programmes. They have benefited from scholarships in the USA, Brazil and China, with the majority of them attaining first degrees and, in some instances, masters degrees.

For the academic year, 2016/2017, 129 officers and ranks received scholarships to attend the University of Guyana, the Government Technical Institute, the Guyana School of Agriculture, the Government Industrial Training Centre and the Critchlow Labour College, among other institutions.

TRAINING
For the academic year 2017/2018, 86 officers and ranks were awarded scholarships, and the following academic year (2018/2019), 110; and for the period 2019/2020, another 139 – a total of 464. The Hugh Wooding Law School, Institute of Distant and Continuing Education, Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School and the Guyana School of Nursing are among the other institutions officers and ranks are being sent to. In the not so distant future, 27 persons will undergo training at the GUYSUCO Training Centre for a period of six months.

Also, in 2020, Guyana will host Exercise Tradewinds – an exercise that would be conducted by Member States of the Caribbean in collaboration with the US Southern Command. It is designed to help participants’ better respond to natural disasters and land and maritime threats.

Reacting to statements made by Ali, the Joint Services Co-ordinating Council on Friday warned against any attempt to sway its members, noting that these informal efforts can affect the morale of ranks and contribute to the compromise of discipline and security at this time.

In setting the record, the Guyana Police Force, on Wednesday, outlined that it has embarked on a reform programme even as it implements its Three-Year Strategic Management Plan 2019/2021. The Strategic Management Plan is guided by five (5) pillars – operational priorities, human development, partnerships, performance and infrastructure. These pillars, the Police Force explained, are designed and intended to ensure the realisation of a professional, accountable and modern Police Force.

“As regards Operational Priorities, the Force received a number of vehicles and other operational modernised equipment to bolster operational capacity and to enhance efficiency in service delivery. Further, the recently highlighted CCTV Camera System, which is a part of the SAFE CITY PROJECT, will contribute immensely in the fight against criminal activities. Additionally, the Mounted Branch of the Force is also decentralized to fight crime,” the Police Force said.

The Force said it now has Human Resource Departments in each Police Division, and capacity-building of ranks is continuous through professional, technical, specialist and tertiary levels of training. Like the GDF, a number of ranks and officers of the Police Force have benefited from scholarships and continue to do so.